William Gibson is not one of the authors that spits out novels like a machine – in his long and fruitful career he has only published 11 novels andof short stories and articles in the tens each. Still his impact on modern literature was huge – the “noir prophet” of the cyberpunk subgenre (that he was one of the pioneers of) has predicted the rise of reality television, virtual reality, video games and the internet. He is a Hugo and Nebula award winning science fiction writer, with a special eye for what the future might bring.

Four year old Kaleb Stanley (R), from Dublin, reaches up to puncture a giant bubble with the help of his seven year old brother Jacob on London's South Bank on May 9, 2008 in England. (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)

Commended. In late May, about a quarter of a million snow geese arrive from North America to nest on Wrangel Island, in northeastern Russia. They form the world's largest breeding colony of snow geese. Photographer Sergey Gorshkov spent two months on the remote island photographing the unfolding dramas. Arctic foxes take advantage of the abundance of eggs, caching surplus eggs for leaner times. But a goose (here the gander) is easily a match for a fox, which must rely on speed and guile to steal eggs. “The battles were fairly equal”, notes Sergey, “and I only saw a fox succeed in grabbing an egg on a couple of occasions, despite many attempts”. Surprisingly, “the geese lacked any sense of community spirit”, he adds, “and never reacted when a fox harassed a neighboring pair nesting close by”. (Photo by Sergey Gorshkov/Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer)

Miss Earth 2016 candidates wearing environmental statement sashes lineup during a press presentation in Manila, Philippines, 11 October 2016. Eighty three young women from around the globe converged in Manila for the international beauty event. Miss Earth is a pioneering beauty pageant that serves as a vehicle for environmental advocacy. (Photo by Mark R. Cristino/EPA)

American supermodel Bella Hadid sets pulses racing as she showcases a new range of bras by Victoria's Secret in February 2023. The 26-year-old model appears alongside several other catwalk beauties in the “Bras, That's Our Thing” campaign for the brand. Paloma Elsesser, Adut Akech and Taylor Hill also appear, as do Candice Huffine, Mayowa Nicholas, and Valentina Sampaio. (Photo by Camilla Summers-Valli/Victoria's Secret/The Mega Agency)

A tower belonging to the Abengoa solar plant at the Solucar solar park is seen in Sanlucar la Mayor, Spain on October 1, 2018. (Photo by Marcelo del Pozo/Reuters)

Parade Marshall Captain Gary Tomlin gives a command during a Remembrance Sunday parade through Fulham in West London, Britain November 8, 2009. Every year in November, villages, towns and cities across Britain honour those who have lost their lives in war on Remembrance Sunday. While Queen Elizabeth leads tributes at a national service of remembrance at The Cenotaph war memorial in central London, various neighbourhoods also hold their own local marches and memorials. (Photo by Kevin Coombs/Reuters)

Members of the Moranbong Band from North Korea wait inside the lobby of a hotel in central Beijing, China, December 11, 2015. North Korea's premier pop group, the all-girl Moranbong band formed by leader Kim Jong-Un, is electrifying audiences in China in shows aimed at harmonising out-of-tune ties between the traditional allies, reports and the venue said on December 9 – but tickets are not available to the public. (Photo by Reuters/Stringer)